The Bubble and Beads Tour, October 2010 - Page 6 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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By the way, you asked about how our table mates on our first cruise reacted to me taking photos of our food. I honestly don't remember if I was doing that at that time or not but that wasn't the issue - they just didn't want to talk to us, they just wanted to talk to each other, despite our efforts. They would've been much better seated on their own table.
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About the melting cake: I went on my first cruise this past October on the Carnival Sensation. I got the melting cake the first night and had the same expendience as you, runny and hardly any actual cake. I decided to try it another night, and it was perfect! A lot of cake w/ just a little lava/squishy in the middle. I guess it's hit and miss. I'm glad I decided to give it another try.
I love how relaxed/ing things seem! Just hanging on a lounge chair, reading--sounds like heaven to me!
I'm with you on the Downy Wrinkle Release! I never seem to have the time to iron, and it has saved me from looking like someone's rough draft on more than one occasion!
That's another aspect of a cruise that is great. You can tailor it to your desires. There is always something going on. But if you want to be lazy and do nothing, you can do that too.
The pic of you "lounging" reminds me of my honeymoon cruise. My DH & I found a couple of empty chairs on deck and fell sound asleep. When we woke up we had no idea how long we had been there. It was so nice to totally relax!
I have done that several times at the beach at the Jersey shore. The key is to make sure you put on plenty of sun block because who knows how long you will be under the sun!
Looks like a great time! I'm glad to see that you enjoyed your first day in New Orleans. It was great to see your photos of my city! It gives me a whole new perspective to see it through someone else's eyes! And I love Juan's Flying Burrito, I used to live in that neighborhood and could have eaten there every day.
You should really enjoy the end of this trip report when I discuss our days in NOLA. We really did make the most of it by exploring Bywater, Midtown, Uptown, Treme, Esplanade. So many make the mistake of just sticking to the French Quarter and there is just so much more to discover. You will probably like our other dining choices that we had in the city too if you approve of Juan's Flying Burrito.
Sounds like a great day!
Too bad no one showed up for the meet n greet......
Breakfast sounds delish.
I have yet to try downy wrinkle release; but I keep meaning to because I know I could put it to good use.
Sounds like a great time relaxing on deck; I bet having a $20 fee charged for loosing the blue towel helps prevent people from using them to save chairs!.
Looking forward to more......
They had a Friends of Dorothy meeting every night at different times usually in the same place. That was something that really surprised me that they would have them that often. Craig and I were busy enough as it is that it really wasn't needed and I expect that was why they weren't well attended.
According to reports most people aren't even aware of the potential fee charged on missing towels, so there have been reports of chair saving. However, that never impacted my experience as you will see in this next installment.
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By the way, you asked about how our table mates on our first cruise reacted to me taking photos of our food. I honestly don't remember if I was doing that at that time or not but that wasn't the issue - they just didn't want to talk to us, they just wanted to talk to each other, despite our efforts. They would've been much better seated on their own table.
Oh that isn't so bad as someone being outright rude or hostile. I was imagining all sorts of horrific things.
It also was a great food day as you will see in this next installment.
About the melting cake: I went on my first cruise this past October on the Carnival Sensation. I got the melting cake the first night and had the same expendience as you, runny and hardly any actual cake. I decided to try it another night, and it was perfect! A lot of cake w/ just a little lava/squishy in the middle. I guess it's hit and miss. I'm glad I decided to give it another try.
I discovered a dessert that was even better than the warm chocolate melting cake on this cruise. It was a-mah-zing! Now you have something to look forward to read.
The architect behind the Carnival Cruise Line, including Carnival Triumph, is Joe Farcus. He has been designing the interiors of Carnival’s ships since 1977. Many people wouldn’t care about this aspect of their cruise. I, however, think that the interior design definitely impacts the enjoyment of a cruise. What does he do well? He comes up with a central idea upon which all of the design of the ship revolves. Aboard the Triumph the central idea seemed to be international cities. I do like the fact that there is cohesion of design with what he does. I like the idea of the central idea. No two ships on Carnival’s fleet are the same. He does a great job at attention to detail. There are all sorts of unexpected touches that you can find in every public space or common area aboard the ship. Since Carnival promotes itself as the “Fun Ship”, much of his design of the Triumph was rooted in whimsy. For example, along a stretch of the promenade we discovered seats on stools that looked like Reese’s peanut butter cups. I did enjoy the chandelier in the Rome Theater. It was definitely unique. The curtain in the theater shimmered and added to the showbiz pizzazz that you would see once the show began.
When you step onto the Triumph, I would have liked a “Wow!” experience. I did not get that. The décor just isn’t my cup of tea. It reminds me of old school Las Vegas. There is a lot of use of polished metals and neon lights. The colors are rather dark. It just seemed a bit flashy and garish in all of the common areas. I, actually, preferred the more subdued tones of the stateroom hallways and our cabin. Craig even made a snarky remark about the tacky designs of the carpeting throughout the ship as an aside. While I was not thrilled by the interior design, it didn’t spoil my vacation. A more modern approach to interior design would have just enhanced the experience.
The elevator in the atrium
looking down through the atrium to the capital bar
For lunch, Craig and I explored the Grand Buffet and the South Beach Club restaurant. On the Lido deck, I discovered the area of the buffet known as the “Taste of Nations”. It is on this section of the buffet where each day they feature a different cuisine from around the world. Today the cuisine was Mexican. Mmm sounds good to me! And it was. I give much praise to this meal. It wasn’t like going to a Taco Hell which they easily could have fallen back on. Over 90% of the food you receive aboard the Carnival Triumph is prepared by the staff directly prior to your meal. Hardly anything at all is pre-prepared. The care that Carnival put into my meals showed for this lunch. I did do something naughty. I had the shrimp quesadilla. Why is this naughty? Back in March I broke out in the worst case of hives I have ever experienced or seen. The eruptions totally pulled my skin in different directions and made my face look like a circus freak. The hives covered my entire body. It was a bit alarming to experience at 2 in the morning. At the time I didn’t know what the cause was. Thank goodness by body metabolized whatever it was through the night and by morning I looked like a human being again instead of Quasimodo. Craig and I figured it was something I ate at a Vietnamese restaurant we went to in Manhattan earlier that night. Since many people are allergic to shellfish we suspected it was either the shrimp dish I had, or possibly some Vietnamese spice used in my Pho. I have had shrimp my entire life and have loved it. I really didn’t think it was the shrimp. So on this journey on the Triumph I thought I would test the waters and have these quesadillas with tiny little itty bitty shrimp in them. Sure enough I did experience a very minimal outbreak of hives later in the day. Lesson learned: I am going through the change of life and things continually evolve. Male menopause is a bitch! That was a joke folks. I in no way want to minimize the real difficulties that women have to go through with menopause. But that quesadilla probably was my favorite part of lunch. Craig had gone off to another part of the Grand Buffet and enjoyed his lunch too.
Tortilla Soup with a banana and my iced tea
Shrimp quesadilla, chips and salsa, tortilla encrusted chicken, charred tomato, spinach and corn in maytag blue
So yeah, we had the lazy lying around on the Lido deck port side. There has been big concern about chair hogs on the cruise critic boards. Since my goal was to stay away from crowds of people, I didn’t experience that at all. Perhaps if I wanted a seat that was immediately adjacent to the pool it could have been a problem. But to my way of thinking there always were plenty of chairs available. It was a fully loaded ship and even on days at sea I never noticed a problem with finding a chaise lounge.
One of the things that I wanted to experience on the ship prior to the trip was afternoon tea. Today at 3:00 pm, Craig and I went to the Paris dining room, deck 4 for afternoon tea. They cordoned off a small area for those wanting to experience this small meal. The dining room had soft, classical music playing in the background. I would say there probably were only 50 or so who enjoyed the event. We were seated at a very long table with numerous other guests. We had some polite conversation with our table mates. I must say that the folks across the table from us did make a good attempt at trying to interact with Craig and myself. I am very observant. There were things that I noticed about my table mates that told me that I should really watch what information I put out there and watch what I say. I can’t recall what it was exactly, but in the interest of having a leisurely meal I thought I should remain rather mum. Craig is just naturally quiet and shy so it came easy to him. Most of the passengers that attended the afternoon tea were a mature crowd. Craig and I were among the youngest in attendance. This, I thought, was a good thing since the playing of Mozart and Chopin doesn’t necessarily jive with a boisterous, raucous time. Chances of craziness are less with the retiree set. The dining staff wheeled out carts filled with all sorts of goodness. I don’t remember what kind of tea that I had. I was a bit disappointed that the tea was the tea bag variety and not loose leaf steeped in a pot. Americans! At least they brought out one of those wooden chests with many little compartments from which to select 12 different varieties of teas. There were a variety of little sandwiches like salmon and crème fraiche on a blini. There was a wide variety of desserts. You can be sure I had a tiny slice of chocolate cake. I wish I could remember all of the choices. That was the nice thing. We had a nice variety of options. The food was spot on and I really enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend the experience. The only thing I would have preferred is if we could have had just a table for two. The whole event naturally lends itself to something a bit more intimate. Everything is on a low-key, small scale. I can’t believe that I neglected to take even one single picture during tea time. For shame!
I now have discovered my memory played a trick on me. Based upon the chronology of my photos I realize that the whole lazy, relaxing time actually took place after lunch. I truly can’t recall what the heck I did after I decorated our room and before I had lunch. I suspect I went up on the Lido deck to write in my journal. Of course I never did get very far, I was always distracted by something. Following my lazy afternoon, I had a Cruise Critic gathering back in the same spot as before. I had recommended to the group that we always gather at the same spot that way we don’t have to think. Who wants to think on a vacation? The meet ‘n’ greet was an opportunity for those who were too busy getting acclimated to the ship on day one to get to know the rest of us who liked to party with bubbles and beads. While that was the plan, I don’t recall meeting anyone new. The tried and true met and we discussed what a wonderful time we all were having. Once again we confirmed our plan to go see the very funny Will Marfori. This meet ‘n’ greet was more subdued, relaxed, and laid back. The wind was really picking up and the hair flew about this way and that.
Tonight is elegant night at dinner. Based upon the comments on the Cruise Critic message boards I had low expectations. I was really surprised that so many of our fellow passengers went all out with the dressing up. While you didn’t see many tuxedos, the guests were definitely dressed up. Lots of sparkle and shine with jewelry, jackets and ties were in evidence. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that our sailing is out of New Orleans and the overwhelming passenger list hails from the Deep South. Perhaps, the Texans, the Louisianans, etc. know about the concept that there is a place and time for everything. I am part of the camp that enjoys dressing up and feels that there are occasions that call for it. Craig and I had packed along one jacket and slacks each and just changed our shirts and ties for the two elegant nights that we experienced. All throughout the common areas of the ship are photographers stationed to take your picture. Some are stationed with a backdrop at the ready. Others use the ship’s architecture as a natural backdrop. Additionally, as you are eating your meal photographers come around and take your picture. Personally, I wouldn’t care for a photographer asking to take my picture as I am slurping my soup. As luck would have it they always swung by at a good moment for Craig and I when we weren’t in the middle of a bite. As soon as we were greeted by our hostesses, we were whisked away to a table. We were at a different area of the dining room and consequently had a new team of wait staff. Tonight we were treated by having Head Waiter Roberto, team waiter Gerard, and assistant waiter Nathaly. They were wonderful. This team was a bit more attentive and we didn’t have to wait as long in between our courses. Nathaly was excellent at making sure our glasses were filled with beverages. I had the West Indian pumpkin soup which is gently roasted in the oven blended with chicken broth and a touch of cream. It was seasoned perfectly. Nothing is better than a well made soup. I was on vacation so as you will see from my choices I didn’t care about my health. However, the menus were well marked and clear if you were concerned about eating healthier. There is a section on the menu called, “Spa”, which features items that are low in calories, cholesterol, sodium, and fat. They had healthy choices and they had low carbohydrate choices. You could also consult with your chef if you had food allergy issues like needing a gluten free diet. They will even come out at the Grand Buffet and assist you if need be. I have said it before and I will say it again, the wonderful thing about cruising is if you can not make a decision during dining you do not have to. I had both lobster tail and steak. I am on vacation so I had my steak prepared the way I love it – rare. As for the lobster, it came with a little bowl filled with melted butter. It does not get better than that for me. I was a tad bit concerned to know if I would experience hives from having lobster. But I thought that a night of hives is worth the risk for the decadence that is melted butter poured over a succulent piece of lobster. It turned out nothing happened at all and I was able to have no adverse consequences to my gluttony. My dinner concluded with caramelized apples on a puff pastry served with vanilla cream and caramel sauce. I wished there were more. I have a big sweet tooth and I just wanted more. As you can imagine, I have given up the quest for the six pack abs. How much fun is that!?! The path to the one pack ab is much more satisfying, I assure you.
West Indian pumpkin soup
Lobster tail
Steak
Caramelized apples on a puff pastry
Following dinner I wanted to have our picture taken in our nice duds. I liked the idea of having the spiral staircase wind its way behind us. We got in a long line and had our picture taken with a number of poses dictated by the photographer. There was one pose that was absolutely ridiculous. We had our backs facing each other and our arms crossed in front of our chests. What are we, cartoon superheroes? None of the pictures turned out well. Mostly because I think Craig feels awkward at those moments and he usually has a pained expression on his face.
Tonight we enjoyed the “Wonderful World” production in the Rome Lounge at 8:30. It was a musical revue that had as its unifying theme music from around the world. Photography is prohibited so no pictures are available. I loved the dancing. This ended up being my favorite late night production.
We made our way to the Club Rio lounge to experience the rated R adult comedy special. Amazingly enough we found our Cruise Critic friends and squeezed into a U shaped couch. While Dobie Maxwell was quite funny, Will Marfori stole the night. Punchliners! Comedy Club is definitely a great addition to the entertainment lineup for the Carnival Cruise line. The quality of the comedians was quite good. I was surprised at how raunchy and explicit the language could get. But I like that. That will make me howl with laughter, but I can definitely see that it would not be everyone’s cup of tea. They do warn the audience before the show begins so there is absolutely no excuse for anyone to complain. They have a PG rated comedy show earlier in the evening so there is something for everyone. My Sail ‘n’ Sign account has some money but not a lot. I was well behaved and did not have any alcoholic beverages, nor did Craig since he is not a drinker. The ship’s staff is rather persistent and you never have an opportunity not to purchase a beverage. They are constantly stopping by your seat to make sure that you are not parched. My fellow Cruise Critic friends did not abstain and took full advantage of the very attractive wait staff swinging by offering to supply them with very tall glasses of cocktails. Right Cheryl and Heidi?
When we returned back to our room following the comedy shows we discovered an elephant sitting on our bed.
NEXT: The Mayan ruins of Tulum excursion gets cancelled, the rain sweeps through Cozumel and Craig and Douglas have to scramble to make the most of their vacation.
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but that wasn't the issue - they just didn't want to talk to us, they just wanted to talk to each other, despite our efforts. They would've been much better seated on their own table. 
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